Late Harvest Reserve Napa Valley 2009

About This Wine

On the nose: Honey, grapefruit zest, jasmine, orange peel and walnuts with a hint of basil, balanced with lime, vanilla, pineapple and mango

On the palate: Velvety entrance with touches of pear and mandarin, lingering on dry apricot, honey and crème brûlée

Wine Profile

Blend: 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon

Fermentation: 50% barrel fermented, 50% stainless steel tank fermented

Vintage Notes

In 2009 we had a very consistent season with stable temperatures. This gave us grapes with slightly higher acidity due to the temperate season. Although in October, Napa Valley had a major tropical storm which was followed by an intrusive storm two weeks later. This forced most winemakers to pick prior to the rain. At Alpha Omega, we decided to let the fruit hang through the rain to obtain better tannic ripeness. Because we have a quadruple sorting system, we had the ability to sort out grapes that were not up to standards. Therefor our production was lower as we had fewer grapes with perfect ripeness. Overall, the vintage is a bit more Bordeaux-like with lower alcohol content in the wines and a little bit higher acidity. 2009 was a great year for Late Harvest, because it was the perfect growing conditions for botrytis.